


those that under earth take vengeance on men

by darknesshadows (FeatheredShadow)



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-20
Updated: 2017-09-20
Packaged: 2019-01-01 01:17:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12145440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeatheredShadow/pseuds/darknesshadows
Summary: Dying and being brought back to life by the Angel Raziel itself proved to be more dangerous than expected.





	those that under earth take vengeance on men

It was pain that woke him up in the middle of the night, jolting him from sleep. Panting, Alec looked around himself in the dim moonlight that was piercing through the curtains, barely allowing him to make out the shape of the furniture in his room. Hissing sounds were buzzing in his ears, dim and half-present, as if heard from a distance. He was slightly disoriented after having been woken up so suddenly, and it took him a few minutes before remembering what had happened earlier in the day. They had won the war – _won the war_ , and wasn’t it a crazy idea! – and had gone to a bar to rejoice and celebrate. He had made sure Jace was alright, not very inclined to leave his parabatai out of his sight, not after the piercing pain that had come through his parabatai rune _and the way it had disappeared_ , but he knew he needed to talk with Magnus, and he had left the bar for a few minutes.

It had been supposed to be a calm discussion, to make things better between them, but Alec hadn’t been able to repress his curiosity – and his anger – and had confronted Magnus over his alliance with the Seelie Queen. The warlock had refused to explain his action, telling him he couldn’t understand, and when Alec had tried to protest, to bring up the Downworlders Cabinet, it had all been brushed aside with a gesture of the hand. Magnus had pointed out – not unkindly, or at least less bitterly than Alec would have done in the same situation – that the two of them were looking for very different things in a relationship right now, and Magnus was done being a lot more invested than Alec. To be entirely honest, he hadn’t taken it very well, but there was nothing he could have done about it as Magnus had walked away in the night, turning his back on him and, possibly, on the fragile alliance he had managed to create with the Cabinet.

Alec had been rather disturbed by the conversation and had tried to go back to the bar, to look for Jace, eager to be able to enjoy the presence of his parabatai, but his phone had buzzed right when he had entered the building, a simple text informing him Jace was heading home, too tired by the events of the day to stay any longer. Alec hadn’t stayed long at the bar after that, just taking the time to make sure Izzy and Clary were in good hands and enjoying themselves, and he had left soon after, suddenly feeling the need for a long, hot shower and a good night of sleep.

Jace had already disappeared into his own room and he had followed his lead, crashing onto his bed at the first opportunity. It hadn’t taken him long to fall asleep, but he couldn’t quite understand why he had woken up so suddenly – and in such pain. He hadn’t been wounded after all… Worried still, he checked his torso, fingers roaming over his skin without noticing anything amiss, until he reached his parabatai rune. It was hot and perhaps slightly inflamed under his fingers, something that made Alec frown a little. The bond was _weird_ – both present and very distant, as if it was muffled by a greater distance than anything else he had ever experimented. It wasn’t quite like when Jace had been aboard Valentine’s ship, and yet it was similar in some aspects. Worry tugging at him, Alec finally threw away his covers and grabbed a sweatshirt to put over his pajamas before quietly slipping away from his room.

He felt unsettled and he couldn’t quite pinpoint where the feeling was coming from. His nerves were frayed and he couldn’t understand why – alright, his discussion with Magnus had been painful for his pride, but the break-up hadn’t been that bothersome in the first place, and they had won the war. He had seen Valentine’s dead body with his own two eyes, by the Angel! And Jace was still alive, too – he had held him in his arms, a warm, strong presence he had basked in once the feeling of shock had abated, and he could feel him through the bond, dim as it was. But it was the muffled feeling that made him uncomfortable – the way the bond seemed so faded, feelings barely recognizable through the distance, and those hissing sounds he could barely hear, like ghostly echoes…

The Institute was quiet and silent at this time of the night but the corridors were already cold – winter was coming earlier than usual this year and he congratulated himself on having a supplementary layer on his back. The walk to Jace’s room was a short one and he entered quietly, trying to catch sight of his parabatai.

Jace was nowhere to be seen but there was light around the doorframe leading to the bathroom, and he could hear water running. Frowning a little, Alec quietly walked to the bed and took his sweatshirt off before slipping under the covers. He wriggled a little to make himself comfortable, decided to wait for his parabatai before falling back to sleep, but he barely had the time to position himself that the water stopped running. From then, it was only a matter of seconds until Jace came back to the room, the light coming from the bathroom giving a golden halo around his frame before it was turned off.

Jace stilled for a brief moment when he saw him before walking to the bed, something a little hesitant in his step. Alec watched him move, unsure of what to do – he did feel better now that he could see his parabatai, but tension was still running high through his body, and it was obvious Jace wasn’t faring any better, if the tension around his frame was anything to do by.

“I thought you would be at Magnus’,” Jace whispered once he had positioned himself under the covers, lying on one side of his body so that they were facing each other, heat radiating between them.

It should have been a peaceful moment but there was _something_ between them – and not the kind of tension Alec would have enjoyed, in the secret of the night. His parabatai seemed to be rather absent, not quite present on this plane of existence, and he suddenly felt like there was something in the corner of his eye – a flutter followed by hissing sounds, again.

Remembering the question a beat later, Alec shrugged a little. He had to fight the sudden urge of putting an errand stray of hair behind Jace’s ear, instead of having it falling over his face, half-hiding his beautiful eyes. 

“It’s definitively over between us,” he admitted in a low voice, less bothered than he would have expected.

It had been a long time coming, truth be told. Magnus had been right in saying they weren’t looking for the same things in a relationship right now, and it probably applied to their lives as well. Their priorities didn’t really align – except for the safety of the world and the improvement of relationships between Downworlders and Shadowhunters. It was for the best they didn’t stay together, in the end, because it would only make them deeply unhappy in the long run.

Jace frowned a little, looking intensely at his face, searching for something – and he didn’t seem to be much comforted by what he found. Alec didn’t know what to think of his reaction – didn’t want to dare hope it was jealousy, almost completely certain his parabatai wasn’t in love with him – but he let it go. What mattered right now was the dark cloud hovering over Jace, and the strange way the bond was feeling between them.

And those damn hissing sounds…

“Why are you here, then?” Jace asked in a very low voice, sounding very vulnerable all of sudden, and Alec felt a pang in his heart.

He had never been able to resist to Jace when his parabatai was looking so vulnerable, his need for affection and reassurance written all over him. And he didn’t even have to restrain himself – not when they were hidden in the safety of Jace’s room, lights turned off and with no one to interrupt them.

He held Jace by the neck, stroking it in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. Jace looked like a trapped animal in front of him, eyes wide and desperate, the way they had been once he had first come to the Institute, all those years ago.

Something terrible must have happened to Lake Lyn – other than the death of the man who had raised Jace – and Alec was intent on finding out what it was.

“I had a nightmare,” he said, which was only half a lie. “And I… I needed to see you. Be close to you.”

Emotions threatened to overwhelm him, all of a sudden. It had been difficult, having to navigate to Lake Lyn after the horrible pain that had come from his parabatai rune, after its disappearance, and then everything had happened in a blur, forcing him to compartmentalize until he could find a moment to wind down.

Jace stayed silent for a long moment, looking at him with bright, wide eyes, still searching for something on Alec’s face – something he seemed to find, if the sigh that escaped him was an indication to go by. He curled up a little on himself before shifting towards Alec, finally relaxing a little once he was lying against his parabatai’s body, holding onto his pajama. Alec moved his hand a little so that he was now running his fingers through Jace’s hair, patiently waiting for him to start talking.

He had learned to be patient over the years, and had always been rewarded for it in the end.

“Valentine stabbed me to death and Clary used her wish granted by the Angel to bring me back to life,” Jace whispered in a strangled voice, looking like death had warmed him over.

Alec stilled before holding tightly onto him, not quite believing what he had just heard. A broken sound suddenly escaped Jace and he took a few shaking breaths, trying to get his breathing under control before finally breaking down. Alec held him through it, feeling strangely hollow inside and yet understanding at the same time why his parabatai rune had hurt so badly.

He didn’t even realize when tears started silently running down his face, walls breaking down in front of the horrible truth. Jace had _died_ – and he had come back. The thought was too much to comprehend and he held his parabatai tighter than ever, taking as much comfort from the embrace as he could, trying to reassure himself with the warmth of Jace’s body against his.

Everything that had happened over the past few months – since Clary had barged into their lives, or perhaps even before – seemed to come out, quiet as hurricane and yet unnoticed by everyone else outside of Jace’s room. Neither could have said how long it lasted, but it left them in an exhausted state, two snotty-nosed messes, with tears drying on their cheeks and the beginning of a headache pounding behind their eyelids.

And yet they were still holding onto one another, needing the physical reassurance even more now that the truth was out. The bond was too fragile for them to content themselves with it and they needed something a little more physical to make sure they were both alive, together.  

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before,” Jace finally mumbled after a time, before moving away to grab a few tissues and a bottle of water that had been lying around. “But I just… I couldn’t… It has been so _painful_ since I came back…”

Hissing sounds seemed to come back, closer for a few seconds before dimming away.

Alec frowned a little, gratefully accepting the tissue and blowing his nose before putting two and two together. Exhaustion was washing over him but there were still unanswered questions that needed answers.

“Pain as if you were being stabbed again?” he asked in a low voice, one hand still on Jace’s body and the other on the bottle of water, dry throat suddenly forgotten.

Jace nodded a little, a shy, quiet gesture that did nothing to ease Alec’s mind.

“Yeah, why?”

“Because I feel the pain too,” Alec answered truthfully, frown deepening. “And our bond isn’t as it used to be… it’s there and…”

“Not there,” Jace said in a whisper, eyes wide open.

“And there are those hissing sounds…”

“Oh, you can hear them too? I thought something had gone wrong with my hearing…”

“If it did, the same thing happened to mine.”

They looked at each other in silence for a long time, perplexed, before relaxing, the weight of secrecy being finally lifted. Now lying on their sides, they looked at each other, soaking in their shared warmth as much as possible.

“We’re going to talk to the Silent Brothers as soon as possible,” Alec decided, voice half muffled by his pillow.

“Tomorrow,” Jace agreed, eyelids almost too heavy for him to fight against – although he kept his face turned towards Alec as much as possible. “Together…”

“Together,” Alec promised, sleep already taking him away by the end of the word.

It wasn’t the first time they had fallen asleep in the middle of a conversation – exhausted by the sudden outburst of feelings – and the familiarity of it all helped them sleep through the rest of the night, comforted in the knowledge they were as close as they could physically be.

And with no secrets between them.

ooOoo

The morning after found them yawning into their coffees, their fellow Shadowhunters not looking much better over their own breakfasts. The party seemed to have lasted long into the night and more than a few people were nursing hangovers, jumping and wincing at every sudden noise. No one batted an eye at seeing Alec and Jace sitting close to one another, shoulders bumping every now and then.

A slight commotion suddenly got their attention and Alec straightened in his seat when he saw Lydia standing on the doorstep of the communal kitchen, scanning the crowds. Her face lit up when she spotted him and she quickly walked towards them, her posture more relaxed than usual.

People welcomed her on the way and she was smiling when she sat down, grabbing a cup of coffee as she was exchanging greetings with Alec and Jace.

“The Clave sent me to oversee things until they’re done in Idris,” she quickly explained. “Not that they think something will go wrong, _per se_ , but they don’t want you to deal with the Seelies alone. They think it’s important to reinforce their presence, and as the Inquisitor can’t come right now…”

“Do you think you can handle it by yourself?” Alec asked in a low voice, not missing the look of disappointment that had crossed Jace’s face at the idea his grandmother wouldn’t come.

Lydia blinked, surprised, before a slight blush colored her pale cheeks – and she didn’t seem to be entirely healed from her wound caused by the demon, if her appearance was anything to go by.

“I suppose, if someone fills me in, yes… Why?”

“Something happened to me during the fight with Valentine,” Jace explained in a very low voice, making sure no one else could hear him. “I need to go see the Silent Brothers, to see if they can do something…”

“And I’m going with him,” Alec said in a very decided voice. “Izzy knows everything that happened recently, she will be able to fill you in…”

“Works for me,” Lydia said with a little shrug. “How long will you be gone?”

Jace and Alec exchanged a look before shrugging too.

“Depends on how it goes,” Jace said without much heat, a bit subdued. “Could be a couple of hours or a couple of days, it’s hard to know.”

Lydia nodded, thoughtful, before her smile came back.

“Well, it’s settled then. You go there, and Isabelle and I will hold the fort until you come back.”

“Thanks a lot, Lydia,” Alec said in a grateful tone, Jace nodding next to him, and she handwaved them away, a soft smile still present on her lips.

They didn’t stay long afterwards, exchanging news on what had happened since the last time they had seen each other. From that point, it was time for them to go ready themselves for their trip to the City of Bones, all while trying to avoid everyone else. Alec wasn’t particularly inclined to come across Izzy and have to explain to her he was leaving with Jace, instead of trying to mend his relationship with Magnus – or whatever else she would come up with, given how invested she was in his involvement with the warlock. As for Jace, he didn’t exactly want to have to tell Clary that her wish had come with very undesirable side-effects. Besides, he felt a little awkward at the idea they seemed to be in a relationship now. She had seemed so happy and in love with Simon, but given how fast it had all disappeared after their trip to the Seelie Court, he wasn’t too sure she was really in love with him. Perhaps it was only their shared angel blood that was drawing them to each other, and he didn’t really want to find out.

It was safer for him to be with Alec. At least he knew where they stood with each other – the bond had never lied about it, and there had been no big changes since their ceremony, all those years ago, except for the way it was so dimmed and muffled since the Angel had brought him back. No, best to stay with his parabatai. Nothing bad could happen that way.

They managed to avoid everyone and left quietly in the middle of the day, taking advantage of the usual activity of the Institute to sneak out and walk towards the City of Bones. Nobody paid them any attention and it was a quiet trip, the two of them talking about mindless matters until they reached the old building.

Jace felt cold sweat going down his spine as he stopped in front of the doors, suddenly reminded of the last time he had been there – how Aldertree had tortured him with a parody of a trial – and it took Alec putting his hand on the small of his back and nudging him a little to get him to move. The City of Bones was cold, wet and dim – nothing ever changed there – and they walked quietly until they came across a Silent Brother, standing in the middle of a corridor.

 _What are you doing here, young Nephilim?_ Brother Zachariah asked them, voice booming deep in their heads.

They exchanged a look before Jace stepped up, a little pale, and feeling on edge as the hissing sounds had come back, stronger than the day before.

“I… I need help,” he said in a low voice before stopping, not knowing where to go from there.

The Silent Brother tilted his head, studying him, before gesturing for them to come along as he turned around and walked away. Silence accompanied them for a few minutes until they reached the library of the City of Bones, where other Silent Brothers were reading. They all stopped when they noticed the arrival of the visitors, curiosity clear in their posture.

 _The Herondale heir requires our help,_ the Silent Brother who had welcomed them said before moving to an empty chair, a lone book abandoned on top of it.

 _Speak up, then, child_ , Brother Zachariah said in a voice that was slightly less cold than usual.

It took Jace a few tries but he finally told the story of what had happened at Lake Lyn and its consequences, Alec listening quietly behind him. Excitement and trepidation arose at the news of the summoning of the Angel Raziel, but no one said a word until Jace was done.

 _Show us the wounds_ , another of the Silent Brothers directed rather kindly, hums of reflection making themselves heard as faint golden lines could be seen under the lighting.

Alec hadn’t seen them before and even Jace seemed to be surprised at their presence, touching them hesitantly before putting his clothes back in order. The Silent Brothers started talking to each other, one of them gesturing for the young Shadowhunters to take a seat before bringing his attention back to his brethren.

“I don’t know if they will be able to help,” Jace murmured in a low voice, fingers drumming on his legs. “I doubt there is a manual on resurrection in the Clave’s library…”

“Perhaps there is an old, forgotten legend on the topic,” Alec offered, a bit hesitantly.

They were both out of their depth but at least they were together, and it did make them feel better.

The atmosphere stayed quiet in the room until Alec felt a pang of pain, accompanied by dimmed hissing sounds. It troubled him a little, but it was nothing compared to the sight of Jace suddenly doubling over, livid and panting. Silent Brothers quickly gathered around them, watching in fascination until Jace managed to calm down, Alec kneeling next to him, a hand on his back.

 _Well, this proves our theory right_ , one of the Silent Brothers finally said once Jace had calmed down.

He was sitting down on the ground, leaning against Alec, eyes half-closed, trying to get his breathing back under control. The bond was beating erratically between them, both present and absent, Alec had never before felt more powerless.

“What theory are you talking about?” he asked once it was clear Jace wouldn’t do it, too exhausted to speak.

_Jonathan Christopher Herondale is stuck between the land of the living and the land of the dead. Angels might have the power to bring someone back to life, but they are not supposed to stay alive, unless…_

“Unless what?” Jace asked in a raspy voice, not looking at anyone.

_Unless you can convince one of the deities of the dead that you should stay alive until your time comes again._

Jace looked at the Silent Brother who had spoken, slightly dumbfounded, before turning his attention to Alec, who looked as perplexed as he felt.

“And how am I supposed to do that, exactly? And what do you mean, deities of the dead?”

 _We will give you an artifact that should draw you to those that have been calling for you_ , one Brother said before another one interrupted him.

_There are very powerful creatures that oversee the lands of the dead in multiple realms. Usually they don’t meddle with living beings, but for people in your situation, young Herondale… well, they will seek you out if you do not do it first._

“But they could decide to kill Jace, right?” Alec asked in a low voice, feeling his blood turn to ice as the Silent Brothers nodded around them.

“They’re going to kill me if I don’t do something,” Jace pointed out, finally opening his eyes and staring at the crowd that had gathered around them. “I need to reach them first if I want to have a chance to stay alive, right?”

 _That’s the idea_ , Brother Zachariah confirmed. _You should hurry, young Nephilim. They do not like to be kept waiting._

ooOoo

They left the City of Bones with Jace holding a silver feather in his hand and on orders not to come back until they had come across a deity of the dead – something that was supposed to happen very soon, according to Brother Zachariah, according to the frequency of Jace’s pain attacks and the way the hissing sounds were growing stronger. They weren’t sure where to go at first, and decided on a walk through the woods surrounding their corner of New York. It didn’t bring any fruitful result, Jace feeling worse the deeper they went through it, so they backtracked to the city, mingling with the mundane crowds.

The air was getting chillier and they finally stopped at a little Italian restaurant, not far from a rather crowded area, where they knew they could get some food. No one paid attention them and the waitress didn’t bat an eye at their leather outfits, more interested in their orders than in anything else.

“I don’t know if we will find them in time,” Jace mumbled darkly, stuck between Alec and a wall, leaning against his parabatai.

They had managed to find a booth for themselves but no one had seemed to mind they had decided to sit next to each other instead of on each side of the table, and they were rather glad of the fact. They had felt a pressing urge to be as close as possible since they had left the City of Bones, and they knew they were less likely to draw attention in a mundane restaurant than in the Shadow World.

“Maybe they’re waiting for nightfall,” Alec suggested, not very convinced.

Jace hummed a little and curled a little closer to him, relaxing a little as Alec put his hand on his neck and started massaging him, a frown on his face. The atmosphere was less heavy than he had feared, but there was still a clock ticking over their heads, and he would rather deal with the deity of the dead as soon as possible…

Their orders quickly arrived and they almost threw themselves on their plates, suddenly hungry. Jace almost moaned out loud as he bit into a piece of beef grilled over firewood. Alec smiled a little at the sight, glad that his parabatai could still enjoy a good meal, and turned his attention onto his own plate.

There was a sudden peak in hissing sounds before it suddenly stopped.

 “Is that Italian wine?” a feminine voice asked and they looked up, surprised to see a slender frame sitting in front of them.

The girl – woman – seemed to be in her twenties, although it was hard to say with certainty as a huge pair of sunglasses was covering half of her face. Dark curls were framing an oval, olive-skinned face and she was wearing only black leather – although she didn’t seem to be a Shadowhunter.

“Yeah?” Jace answered after a beat, a surprised look on his face. “What –”

She grimaced a little at that before shrugging, reaching for the bottle of red wine that had been left on the table between their plates.

“Well, could be worse, but that will have to do,” she mumbled before turning her attention to Jace’s meal and smelling the air a little. “Oh, well done! That will _definitively_ do.”

“ _Who the hell are you_ and what are you doing here?” Jace interrupted her a bit incredulously, one hand moving to reach his Seraph blade.

“Oh, relax a little, Jonathan Christopher Herondale. I heard you wanted to plead your case, so I’m here. My sisters couldn’t come, though, so you will have to deal only with me.”

Alec and Jace exchanged an incredulous look before turning back to the stranger. She seemed to be fairly unbothered by everything but no one else seemed to have noticed her at all – which was slightly strange, as neither of them had heard her coming in.

“Who are you?” Jace repeated, his voice a little colder.

“You can call me Tisi,” the woman answered with an odd, cold smile. “But we’re not here to talk about me. I see you’ve been to those Silent Brothers of yours, eh? Good thing your scholars haven’t forgotten everything there is to know. Some aren’t so lucky.”

“Are you one of the deities of the dead?” Alec asked after a bit, refusing to accept the probability of his theory.

Tisi was unfazed.

“Yup. Now, be quiet, tall guy, this isn’t your time to speak. And you wouldn’t want to mess the appeal, would you?”

She gave Alec a pointed look over her sunglasses and he felt cold sweat going down his spine. Her eyes were two empty cavities and he suddenly understood why he felt so uncomfortable in her presence – _death_ was sitting in front of them.

Trying to shake off the feeling, he shook his head and settled a little more comfortably into the booth, feeling Jace tense next to him. He didn’t the bond to be aware of his parabatai's trepidation – it was obvious in the way he was holding himself, fidgeting without being able to stop it.

“You’re… wait, if you’re here for me and you have sisters, shouldn’t they be there too?” Jace asked, not knowing where to start.

The deity shrugged.

“We work on our own when it’s required. Besides, there has been an arrival of cases that requires our attention, so it’s easier to split up. And you’re right up my alley – patricide, matricide, _homicide_ …”

Jace looked at her, baffled.

“Right up your alley?” he repeated faintly. “But… I… what do your sisters do? Who are they? Who are _you_?”

“My, you’re a curious one, aren’t you? My sisters go by Meg and Alec these days – yeah, funny, given the situation, I know. And we’re into death, vengeance, that kind of stuff. You _do_ know why I’m here, right?”

The flippancy of her tone made them more uncomfortable by the minute, but there was nothing they could do about it, except keeping up the conversation.

“Because I’ve been brought back to life by the Angel Raziel,” Jace said faintly, looking like death warmed him over – not for the first time today, and Alec came closer to him, making sure their bodies were touching as much as possible.

Tisi rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, the old feathers meddled with the natural order once again. Alright, I’m a bit unfair right now, he doesn’t do it _that_ often, prefers to let his children – as he says, it’s kind of creepy, if you want my opinion – settle their issues between themselves. Wise attitude, but he still meddles from time to time and we – my sisters and I, most of the time, although I recall a few other ones had to intervene too – have to deal with the aftermath. So annoying.”

“Sorry?” Jace mumbled, unsettled by her ramblings, but she waved it away.

“Don’t concern yourself with that, kind, it isn’t your fault. So, how about we get to business?”

Jace nodded silently, food forgotten in front of him, and the deity brought up a huge file from nowhere and put it rather briskly on the table, dust flying around as it crashed with a loud _thump_. No one seemed to notice and Alec wondered – not for the first time – if some kind of magic wasn’t at work right now.

“So, Jonathan Christopher Herondale… quite the life you’ve had,” Tisi said as she was perusing through the file, searching through the documents. “Lots of grounds for a complaint… could have done that earlier, but well, I’m surprised you people even know we’re still around, so… Nevermind. Ah, there it is. Repeatedly stabbed by his father. To death. Do you agree?”

Jace choked a little on his words before managing to speak.

“Yeah, that’s… that’s what happened.”

“Sad stuff, very sad,” the deity said before closing the file once again, uncaring about the dust that was flying around, although without settling on her clothes. “So. Talk.”

“Am I supposed to say something specific? Are there ritual words or something?” Jace asked hesitantly, not wanting to anger the deity and end his life in the same move.

She shrugged.

“You do you. Should you stay dead or stay alive? Make your case.”

Jace opened his mouth and closed it a few times before getting his bearings.

“Alive. I… I know that what is dead should stay but I want to live. I want to be _alive_.”

She hummed quietly before gesturing for him to go ahead.

Alec discreetly put his hand on Jace’s thigh, squeezing it a little to give him the confidence to go on. It had always been so difficult to convince Jace he deserved better than what his father had taught him, and to think it might have been all for nothing if Valentine managed to screw him over even in death…

“I want to know my family,” Jace said very quietly, having a hard time holding the stare of the deity. “I want to spend time with my loved ones. I want to continue doing my mission. It’s too soon for me to leave. To leave _them_.”

The deity nodded but didn’t say anything, instead reaching for the silver feather that had been lying next to Jace’s plate and starting to play with it.

Silence fell over their table but she didn’t seem to mind. Jace’s breath came in sharp, erratic inhalations, but Alec didn’t dare say a word, instead trying to give his parabatai as much comfort as possible.

“It’s not fair that Valentine got all his life while he raised me for the slaughter,” Jace finally said in a voice so low Alec had a hard time hearing.

“Fair point,” Tisi said in an equal voice. “I hear you, Jonathan Christopher Herondale. I hear you. But there is more you have to give me, isn’t it?”

Alec looked at her, baffled, before turning his attention to Jace, whose cheeks had reddened a little. Wasn’t it enough that his parabatai had bared his soul to her, and so soon after the death of Valentine? What more could she possibly want?

He soon got his answer, as Jace turned towards him and gently caught him by the neck before kissing him softly, a short, tender touch of the lips. Surprised, he opened his mouth and Jace took advantage of the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his free hand coming to play with Alec’s hair. It was too much for him to resist and he soon found himself kissing back, one hand grabbing Jace’s sweatshirt while the other was losing itself in soft hair.

He almost whined when the kiss broke and had to blink a few times, taking in Jace’s slightly disheveled state and the way his eyes were shining, something very soft on his face.

“I love him. I’ve been in love with him for years and I refused to see it for what it truly was for a long time. But…” he hesitated for a moment, searching for words, before turning back towards the deity. “If you bring me back into the land of the dead, then you’re killing a part of Alec too, and he doesn’t deserve that. We’re parabatai. If one of us were to die…”

“Part of the other would die as well, I know,” Tisi said with the same odd smile on her face that hadn’t left since her arrival. “I know about your customs, Shadowhunter. Some are rather surprising to me, but…”

She shrugged again, handwaving the issue away.

“In any case, this is good for me. A completely truthful answer to a very important question is all I ask for. It is a good thing you have reasons to live, you know. Some people, when given the opportunity to make their case, still think death is the only answer for them. Well, to each their own, I suppose, but dying because of murder is rarely…”

Her voice trailed off as she looked at them, tilting her head a little and frowning behind her sunglasses, before humming quietly.

“Ah yes, there is still this small matter of… Is your bond better, now?”

Surprised at the sudden change of subject, Alec checked and felt immensely relieved that it was back to normal – he could feel everything intensely now, and the outpouring of love that was coming from Jace’s side was surrounding him like a calm, warm blanket that meant home more than anything else in the world.

“What had happened to our bond?” Jace asked quietly, obviously relieved too that it was back – and basking in the strong, steady love that had always accompanied him since he had bound his soul to Alec’s. It was hard to believe he had been so blind for so long, but Valentine’s lessons had been so difficult to shake off after all…

“It was half in the land of the dead with you,” Tisi explained, fairly unmoved by their delighted reactions at its return. “But now you’re completely alive again, so it was brought back with you. Congratulations. Enjoy the rest of your life, Jonathan Christopher Herondale.”

“Thank you – hey, where did she go?”

The deity had disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving only a faint cloud of dust behind her as well as some strange smell akin to honey and summer berries. It was unusual, given how she had presented herself, but Alec shrugged it away, focusing instead on the parabatai that was snuggled against him, looking a lot healthier, something eager and vulnerable in his eyes.

“To the rest of our lives,” Alec whispered against his lips before kissing him again, feeling his heart almost explode with emotions as Jace kissed him back, love pouring back and forth into their bond.

They knew they had new hardships ahead, and the Clave to hide from, but it didn’t matter as long as they were together. Alive.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are always appreciated - they keep the writing fuel running :)


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